CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has said that the reopening of tips ‘worked well’ in their first week.

The council re-opened its Household Waste Recycling Centres last week, including its Winsford and Northwich sites, with new operating methods to ensure all sites are following social distancing rules.

This came after the Government permitted residents to travel to a recycling centre if storing waste at home is a risk to health and safety.

But the council has also warned that those travelling to tips must only do so if essential to avoid long queues and pressure on recycling staff.

Cllr Karen Shore, deputy council leader and cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport, said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to thank residents for thinking twice about their journey and also everyone who came to our HWRCs for following the social distancing rules and guidance from our staff.

“Please only visit if absolutely necessary and consider how essential your trip is before setting off.

“We were able to cope with the queues last week, but additional pressure could result in long delays at the sites.

"We received some wonderful compliments regarding our new operating procedures and I hope the usage levels continue to be manageable.

“Safety remains a key priority and following social distancing guidance is essential.

“At the moment we can’t accommodate trailers as we need to move visitors quickly through the site to avoid queues.

“Only cars can access the sites, with no pedestrians, vans, trailers or commercial vehicles are permitted, but this will be reviewed regularly.”

Recycling centres are open seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and on Saturday and Sunday between 8am and 6pm.

Opening times will be subject to review as the pandemic continues.